A litigation manager is in charge of supervising and managing a lawyer or legal team that is bringing or defending a lawsuit. Lawsuits can be filed for a variety of reasons around the world; a person could be sued for causing any type of injury, breaching a contract, or engaging in any of the other behaviors that lead to civil litigation. In such a lawsuit, a litigation manager would work with either the plaintiff or defendant, assisting in the legal efforts to prove or defend the allegations in the suit.
Only civil litigation is handled litigation managers. While criminal lawyers may have a legal team, the leader of the criminal defense team is rarely referred to as a litigation manager. When a civil suit is filed, however, the parties may be represented multiple lawyers — or even multiple law firms. The efforts will be coordinated the litigation manager.
As part of the in-house counsel team, a litigation manager may work for a corporation. The manager will hire an outside law firm to handle the litigation if the company is sued or needs to sue someone. He will then supervise the case’s progress and serve as a liaison between the corporation and the law firm.
A corporation’s litigation manager may also be able to help the company avoid litigation before it starts. In such cases, the manager will be consulted before making any decisions that could lead to a lawsuit. He can assist the company in assessing the risk associated with the decision, as well as determining the likelihood of being sued and the potential cost of a lawsuit. He can also offer guidance, counseling, and advice on other decisions a company might make, as well as ways to avoid or reduce the risk of litigation.
Managers in this field may also work for law firms. When litigation managers work in law firms, they are usually in charge of a team of litigators who are assigned to one or more cases. This could include determining which attorneys will handle which cases, as well as how work responsibilities will be divided on a case and how the case should be handled.
Litigation managers are typically attorneys with trial and litigation experience. While they may continue to practice law and litigate cases, their management responsibilities and role are often the most important aspects of their job. They assist in ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that all parties communicate on decisions in order to reduce the risk of being sued and/or maximize the chances of success for either the plaintiff or defendant in the event of a lawsuit.